2 Kingdoms (2 Samuel) 15:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Prudence is essential for effectively managing affairs, while malice, deceit, and wickedness severely impede it. Consider how bodies appear when afflicted by bile, losing their natural hue and becoming feeble and weak. Such is the state of souls tainted by malice, which is akin to a disease of the spirit. In this sense, anger holds no true power. Would you prefer an illustration to clarify my point, contrasting a malicious individual with one of integrity? Take Absalom, who was wicked and gathered followers through his deceit. The Scripture tells us that he went about proclaiming, "There is no judgment for you under David," in an effort to sway the people to his side. In contrast, David exhibited simplicity. Now examine the outcomes for both; witness the insanity that consumed Absalom! His singular focus was on harming his father, rendering him blind to all other realities.

It is undeniably true that anything fabricated or deceptive cannot genuinely possess true virtue, nor can it endure for long. Initially, it may appear attractive, but as time goes on, it fades like a flower; true and authentic qualities, however, are deeply rooted. Absalom, the son of King David, was famous for his exceptional beauty and captivating presence during the prime of his youth, unmatched in all of Israel, lacking nothing from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head (2 Sam. 14:25). He would rise early in the morning and position himself by the gate along the road. When anyone came to the king for judgment regarding a dispute, Absalom would say, “Behold, your cause is good and just, but the king has no one to hear you; oh, if I were made a judge in the land!